• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Wimpy Vegetarian
  • Home
  • About
    • About Susan
    • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Recipe Index
  • Essential Pantry
    • 5 Tips for Perfect Cooked Dried Chickpeas
    • Reduced Balsamic Vinegar
  • Work With Me
    • Partnership Opportunities
    • Media Kit
  • Contact Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Meal Plans
  • Vegetarian 101
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Meal Plans
    • Vegetarian 101
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » MAKE IT EASY » Instant Pot

    Easiest Instant Pot Tomato Risotto

    May 28, 2020 16 Comments

    This Instant Pot Tomato Risotto shows the best way to make risotto - any risotto - in the Instant Pot. The tomatoes are roasted with a little balsamic vinegar for extra flavor.

    Instant Pot risotto means no more hovering over the stove, gradually stirring in hot broth. Just stir once at the end. Sooo easy!

    Updated July 13, 2022

    Creamy risotto in a serving bowl with charred roasted tomatoes, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.

    Have you purchased an electric pressure cooker only to have it still in the box, because you don't have a clue what to do with it? Well, you have a lot of company.

    I admit that I did unpack mine. But then I slid it onto a shelf in the pantry, where it sat for a very long time. Eventually, I started cooking my beans in it. Then, when I contracted to write a cookbook, my editor blithely announced that I would include a chapter for the Instant Pot. (ACK!!) So, I dragged it out and got to work. Two years and many recipes later, my favorite no-fail recipe is still my Instant Pot Risotto.

    A wooden spoon holding a mound of creamy risotto with roasted tomatoes, basil and cheese.
    Jump to:
    • Why Instant Pot Risotto?
    • What Other Cooking Methods Are Used to Make Risotto?
    • Ingredient Notes
    • Recommended Equipment
    • Instructions
    • What Are Some Other Variations of This Risotto?
    • Uses For Leftover Risotto 
    • Easiest Instant Pot Tomato Risotto
    • Instant Pot Tomato Risotto Tips

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.

    Why Instant Pot Risotto?

    There are 3 excellent reasons for using your Instant Pot to make risotto.

    #1. Electric Pressure Cookers provide moist environments for cooking food.

    This is the perfect environment for risotto. Seriously, you'll swear that someone's nonna slaved all day to make it.

    #2. Traditional risotto recipes are needy, requiring you to ladle hot broth over rice several times.

    Instant Pot risotto eliminates all that co-dependent nonsense, freeing you up to do something else while it cooks.

    #3. If it's summer, and it's hot outside, it's great to cook something that won't add much heat to the kitchen. A pot of simmering broth is the last thing you may want.

    What Other Cooking Methods Are Used to Make Risotto?

    Using my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker is only the most recent method I've used for making risotto. If you don't have an electric pressure cooker, here are the other ways to make risotto.

    1 - Traditional Stove-Top Risotto Method

    Butternut Squash Risotto with Pears and Sage

    2 - Slow Cooker Risotto

    Slow Cooker Asparagus Risotto

    3 - Baked Risotto

    Baked Artichoke Risotto with Radicchio and Lemon - Caper Breadcrumbs

    4 - Make Cauliflower Risotto (Instead of Using Rice)

    Curried Cauliflower Risotto with Pickled Apples

    Tomato halves on parchment paper that have been roasted.

    Ingredient Notes

    There aren't a lot of ingredients to this risotto, so each ingredient needs to shine.

    • Yellow onion
    • Arborio risotto rice - don't be tempted to use long grain rice. Arborio rice, a short grain rice, is grown specifically for making risotto. It contains a starch that promotes the all-important creamy texture.
    • White wine - there's no reason to use your good wine. An everyday dry wine is fine, such as sauvignon blanc or a pinot grigio. Their light flavor means the wine won't dominate the dish in any way. And the crispness provides great contrast to the creamy rice.
    • Vegetable broth - I use 1 teaspoon of Vegetable Better Than Bouillon bouillon paste for every cup of broth called for, and dilute it in hot water.
    • Roasted Tomatoes - cocktail or compari tomatoes are the perfect size, but either cherry or grape tomatoes are fine. Roasting them intensifies the flavor of the risotto, and can be done up to a week ahead.
    • Fresh basil
    • Grated Parmesan cheese - if you want to keep this risotto dish vegetarian, look for a Parmesan cheese that uses a vegetable rennet. If you have time, grate your own cheese. Pre-grated has cellulose added as an anti-caking agent, which mutes the flavor of the cheese.

    Pro Tip #1: If you use bouillon paste for a recipe calling for vegetable broth, know that bouillon paste is saltier than regular vegetable broth, and your dish may not require any additional salt.

    Pro Tip #2: If you prefer unrefined rice, Arborio is also available as a brown rice. However, the starch content is lower than that in the refined white version, and won't be as creamy.

    Recommended Equipment

    Electric Pressure Cooker
    Risotto Spoon
    Cheese grater

    4 process shots of making risotto in the Instant Pot.

    Instructions

    Before starting, roast the tomatoes using this recipe. This can be up to 1 week ahead.

    Step 1 (10 minutes)

    Sauté and add the wine. Select the SAUTE function on your electric pressure cooker, using medium heat. Melt the butter in the inner cooking pot, and stir in the onion. Sauté for 3 minutes, until slightly softened.

    Add the rice to the pot, and stir with a wooden spoon to coat. If you have a risotto spoon, go dig it out! Sauté for 3 - 5 minutes to lightly toast the rice.

    Pour in the wine and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes, until the wine is absorbed into the rice.

    Step 2 (5 minutes)

    Add the broth. Add the water and bouillon paste, or vegetable broth, and salt. If using vegetable broth instead of bouillon paste, add an addition ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.

    Step 3 (12 minutes)

    Pressure cook. Turn the electric pressure cooker off, and lock the lid into place. Select MANUAL and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 6 minutes.

    Allow for a natural release of 5 minutes, and then perform a quick release.

    Remove the lid.

    Step 4 (2 minutes)

    Add the remaining ingredients. The risotto will have a layer of liquid on top, which will quickly absorb. Stir in the Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes, basil and cheese.

    Serve immediately.


    What Are Some Other Variations of This Risotto?

    This Instant Pot risotto, right up until you stir in the charred tomatoes, basil and cheese, is the perfect foundation for any risotto. Make it your own! The possibilities are almost endless.

    Make it with mushrooms.

    Sauté mushrooms with the onions on the stove until caramelized, and stir them in at the end.

    Add spinach.

    Kick it up with seasonal veggies in place of tomatoes.

    Stir in baby spinach leaves at the end in place of basil. The charred tomatoes can be optional.

    Roast seasonal veggies to stir in at the end - asparagus in spring, butternut squash (and fresh sage!!) in autumn.

    Simplify with garlic and herbs only.

    Mince and stir in the herbs at the end. If you want to magnify the garlic flavor, roast a head of garlic in the oven, coated with oil and wrapped in foil. Squeeze out the amount of cloves you want, and slightly mash in the inner pot with the toasted rice before adding the broth.


    Uses For Leftover Risotto 

    Reheat with a little extra water to achieve the creaminess you want.

    Make risotto cakes! This is the recipe I use on the Food Network, sometimes without the corn.

    Want more vegetarian and vegan dish ideas? I can help you. I have three newsletters for different topics: 1) Vegetarian Recipes, 2) Vegetarian Meal Plans, and 3) Vegetarian Tips for helping you to move to a more vegetarian diet. Choose which newsletters are most relevant to your lifestyle and you'll also get my 5 SECRETS TO FUSS-FREE VEGETARIAN DINNERS.


    Creamy risotto in a serving bowl with charred roasted tomatoes, fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
    Print Recipe
    5 from 20 votes

    Easiest Instant Pot Tomato Risotto

    Tips for making the easiest, tastiest, no-fuss tomato risotto in the Instant Pot with suggestions for flavor variations.
    Prep Time12 mins
    Cook Time6 mins
    Natural release5 mins
    Total Time23 mins
    Course: Vegetarian Dinner
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Instant Pot risotto, instant pot tomato risotto
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 413.8kcal
    Author: The Wimpy Vegetarian

    Equipment

    6-Quart Electric Pressure Cooker, such as the Instant Pot

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
    • 1 ½ cups Arborio (risotto) rice
    • ¼ cup white wine
    • 4 cups water
    • 1 tablespoon Vegetable Better Than Bouillon bouillon paste, see notes
    • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, optional
    • 3 Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes, or 6 halves
    • ¼ cup julienned basil leaves
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, find one using vegetable rennet

    Instructions

    • Select the SAUTE function on your electric pressure cooker, with medium heat. Melt the butter in the inner cooking pot, and stir in the onion. Sauté for 3 minutes, until slightly softened.
    • Add the rice to the pot, and stir with a wooden spoon to coat. If you have a risotto spoon, go dig it out! Sauté for 3 - 5 minutes to lightly toast the rice.
    • Pour in the wine and simmer for 2 - 3 minutes, until the wine is absorbed into the rice.
    • Add the water and bouillon paste, or vegetable broth, if using, and salt. If using vegetable broth instead of bouillon paste, add an addition ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.
    • Turn the electric pressure cooker off, and lock the lid into place. Select MANUAL and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 6 minutes. Allow for a natural release of 5 minutes, and then perform a quick release. Remove the lid.
    • The risotto will have a layer of liquid on top, which will quickly absorb.
    • Stir in the Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes, basil and cheese. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Instant Pot Tomato Risotto Tips

    There aren't a lot of ingredients to this risotto, so each ingredient needs to shine. For example, bring out the very best flavor in the onion by finely dicing it. And be sure to toast the rice a couple of minutes before adding the liquid.
    Use Arborio rice, a short-grain Italian rice originating in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. It contains a starch that promotes that creamy texture we all associate with risotto. If you prefer unrefined rice, Arborio is also available as a brown rice. However, the starch content is lower than that in the refined white version, and won't be as creamy.
    Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio are my white wines of choice for this dish. Their light flavor means it won't dominate the dish in any way. And their crispness provides great contrast to the creamy rice. 
    If you're not yet familiar with Better Than Bouillon, here's your chance to give it a try. I use it in any recipe calling for vegetable broth, as in this Instant Pot Risotto, or whenever I feel a dish needs a little oomph. 
    Pro Tip: If you use bouillon paste for a recipe calling for vegetable broth, know that bouillon paste is saltier than regular vegetable broth, and your dish may not require any additional salt.
    To keep the veggies freshly flavored, I cook them ahead of time and stir them in at the end. For example, since I like to have my Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes on hand (pictured below), I only needed to  pull them from the refrigerator, slice up some basil, and grate some cheese for this dish. 
    Grate your own cheese. It makes a difference! The pre-grated Parmesan cheese is easier to use, no doubt, but typically includes cellulose to keep it from caking together. This cellulose mutes the flavor of the cheese.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 413.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 64.8g | Protein: 10.4g | Fat: 10.6g | Saturated Fat: 5.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2.6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 26.1mg | Sodium: 980.7mg | Potassium: 147.8mg | Fiber: 2.9g | Sugar: 2.2g | Vitamin A: 363IU | Vitamin C: 3.2mg | Calcium: 162.9mg | Iron: 3.5mg
    « 10 Fabulous Make-Ahead Vegetarian Meals
    June: Vegetarian Meal Challenge Recap »

    SIGN UP!

    Want to add more vegetarian dishes to your dinners but need it to be easy? Subscribe here and get my 5 SECRETS TO FUSS-FREE VEGETARIAN DINNERS!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Liz

      May 28, 2020 at 3:25 am

      5 stars
      I'd never thought of making risotto in an IP, but this is genius!!! And the balsamic roasted tomatoes are a fabulous addition!!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        May 28, 2020 at 10:47 am

        5 stars
        Thanks so much Liz! It was soooo good, and we made risotto cakes with the leftovers!

        Reply
    2. Karen

      May 28, 2020 at 10:22 am

      5 stars
      I have never tackled risotto because I've heard it's so hands on! This recipe has changed my mind!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        May 28, 2020 at 4:36 pm

        5 stars
        This is the only way to make risotto IMHO - it's so easy, hands off, and consistent every time I made it now.

        Reply
    3. Jane

      May 28, 2020 at 4:46 pm

      5 stars
      What a winner of a dish Susan! Beautiful, healthy, and totally mouthwatering, this should be made by everyone as soon as possible!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        May 28, 2020 at 5:02 pm

        5 stars
        It has been my go-to dish for the past couple of weeks! I don't think I'll ever make risotto any other way now 🙂

        Reply
    4. Ansh

      May 28, 2020 at 6:24 pm

      5 stars
      That is beautifully cooked risotto! So much better and easier in the instant pot.

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        May 29, 2020 at 9:22 am

        5 stars
        So much easier! And nothing is sacrificed in flavor or texture.

        Reply
    5. Barbara Kiebel

      May 30, 2020 at 12:44 pm

      5 stars
      You sold me and I will do a substitute for sure. We won't get any tomatoes worth roasting here for months but I have a huge jar of sun-dried tomatoes and a container of mushrooms so I'll try those with some basil...can't wait!

      For all of the recipes that people make in this great appliance (which sat in my cupboard for too long too), it is the simpler dishes I love the most.

      My only problem? I want it NOW!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        June 02, 2020 at 3:10 pm

        5 stars
        This was made with boring winter tomatoes - so no need to wait. When you roast them with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, you'll think the tomatoes were harvested in Auguest!

        Reply
    6. Coleen @ The Redhead Baker

      May 30, 2020 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      Oh, I *love* risotto. I didn't know you could make it in an Instant Pot!

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        June 02, 2020 at 3:09 pm

        5 stars
        Me too! And it's the BEST way to make it!

        Reply
    7. Laura Kumin

      June 05, 2020 at 12:19 pm

      5 stars
      I love risotto but hesitate to make it because of the time commitment (plus it usually requires standing over the stove - not my preferred place to be as the weather heats up.) This version has so much going for it - not to mention how simple and quick it is. Can't wait to pull out my Instant Pot and try it.

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        June 06, 2020 at 5:44 pm

        5 stars
        I don't think I'll ever make it any other way. And honestly, I make it as much for the risotto the first night as I do for risotto cakes with the leftovers...

        Reply
    8. widalVot

      January 17, 2022 at 9:13 am

      Serve with extra basil and cheese. Risotto really is best eaten as soon as it has finished cooking. The beauty of the Instant Pot is that it has a delay start function which means you can throw everything in, set it to delay start and it will only cook when you are ready for it to.

      Reply
      • The Wimpy Vegetarian

        January 17, 2022 at 12:08 pm

        5 stars
        I totally agree it's best eaten right away, and had never considered the delay start function!! I'm going to do this on my next batch!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm a mostly vegetarian married to a mostly carnivore and am on a constant hunt for healthy, delicious recipes we'll both like. Most recipes here are vegetarian with tips for adding meat or fish for the meat-eaters at the table. Whether you're vegetarian, or just wanting to eat less meat, I hope you'll find inspiration here to try something new for your own table, even if you're sharing it with someone with different eating preferences.

    More about me →

    READER FAVORITES

    • Healthy Honey Lemon Ginger Tea (for Immunity!)
    • 10 Beginner's Tips for Going Vegetarian
    • Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes (Only 5 Minutes Prep!)
    • Sgroppino in 3 Ingredients (a Prosecco Slushie)

    Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • RSS Feed
    • Mail

    5 TIPS FOR COOKING DRIED CHICKPEAS

    5 tips on how to cook dried chickpeas

    10 TIPS FOR GOING VEGETARIAN

    Freshly washed apples in a colander with text overlay for Main photo.

    Purchase My Cookbook!!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Recipe Index

    Copyright © 2022 The Wimpy Vegetarian

    399 shares
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Yummly
    • Twitter